Every year, I’ve looked forward to a road trip to see the Tall Grass Prairie near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. It’s been planned, postponed, rescheduled and put on the back burner but it was always on the horizon, no pun intended. Finally, in November 2021, I went with a dear friend, her mother, and her daughter. I call this particular friend my “crafty friend” because we almost always do something crafty and creative together from canning and pickling, to cooking, to silversmithing, to woodworking. This time, however, we were going to the prairie to experience Oklahoma’s nature conservancy, unique ecosystem, enjoy the Fall season glory, and visit the Mercantile in Pawhuska’s downtown.

Barely an hour outside of Tulsa, we passed bucolic pastures, barns, pecan groves, bridges, creeks, and the beauty of Barnsdall. Early November in Oklahoma is blazing Autumnal glory with a veil of shamrock, emerald, goldenrod and flaxen hues as well as scarlet, amber and russets. You have to just take it in and be in the moment when you drive through it all. I didn’t take photos of this part….I simply wanted to drink in this elixir that I call “Indian Summer.” Reaching Pawhuska’s downtown was charming, of course. Storefronts, antique stores, a theater, western stores and the glorious Mercantile (of the Pioneer Woman) were decorated for the upcoming Christmas season. Recently, this area was used for the making of the movie, Killers of the Flower Moon. However, when we visited, the town square was back to normal. Normal, per se, which means a still busy lunch crowd waiting to be seated. On a Thursday afternoon, we had a 1.5 hour wait time which left us time to shop first.

Lunch was as incredible as has been touted; comfort food to the extreme. We ordered many appetizers and enjoyed the ambience of the reclaimed wood furniture and other rustic decorations. After lunch, we headed to the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve. The vastness of the prairie with probably one other car on the roads was a very serene experience. We saw a couple of bison, a couple of deer, a creek, and acres upon acres of tall grass. Being unplugged for a day and out of my office chair was such a healthy thing to do in addition to enjoying this Oklahoma treasure. We took photos, chased the sun, and let us our eyes wander over the vivid sunset. My friend and I ran across the highway to shoot photos much to her daughter’s shock but time was of the essence. Feeling a sense of pride for this natural beauty right outside of our hometown, we were overcome with an urgency to sing the song OKLAHOMA! Probably my favorite memory of the day was this moment of a carload of adult women singing Oklahoma.

Before we left Pawhuska, we took a few more group photos in front of the large Christmas tree inside the Mercantile and peered outside at the square lit up in twinkle lights. The reflection of the ornaments in our building with the old architecture from across the street  encapsulated the holiday spirit and small town vibe. It was Veterans Day and the sight of American flags waving and even a veteran standing guard at a patriotic monument on the way into town was a perfect introduction to this road trip. The heart of America….and we live in it!

© Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

• Factoids about the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve:
• It used to span 14 states but now exists only in the Flint Hills of Oklahoma and Kansas.
• It’s one of North America’s major ecosystems.
• It consists of 40,000 acres of land.
• The prairie ecosystem functions by using fire and bison. For example, controlled fires are reintroduced into the landscape at various times of the year such as original seasonal fires would occur. The ecosystem adapts to this method which clears dead vegetation. The bisons’ grazing also influences and sustains the tallgrass by affecting the vegetation’s composition.
• Wildflowers bloom throughout the season with two peak periods; one in Spring and another in late summer.
• The tall grasses, big bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass can grow as tall as 8 feet.
• Prairie chickens and other breeding birds can be found there.
• Other animals on the preserve include: white-tailed deer, bobcats, armadillos, beavers, woodchucks, badgers. coyotes and other animals.